Several systems have been introduced recently that use externally collected information to control traffic lights. Existing traffic light control systems use a variety of road and junction detectors and sensors ranging from stop bar detectors, camera and video car detectors, and even radar systems to predict the incoming traffic flow into a traffic light controlled junction. However, the cost of deployment and maintenance of such systems is extremely high due to the amount of detectors needed and is the main reason why fixed cycle traffic lights are still widely used.
In another example, the location of vehicles that are being tracked by a network using Global Positioning System information can be used for traffic light control. In recent years, smart phones have emerged having community networks applications such as Waze™, Google Maps™, and iGo™ that provide new opportunities for GPS assisted traffic control. These applications are designed for the mobile community, which by sharing known location, speed, destination, hazards, traffic jams, inappropriate drive behavior, and the like, allows those applications to build up-to-date road maps, find optimal routes to desired destination, estimate time of arrival, communicate road hazards, and many more useful services using advanced algorithms. However, these applications do not account for future driver behaviors and traffic conditions, where reliable prediction would be a key factor in intelligent traffic light control.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved technique to reliably predict future driver behaviors and traffic conditions, using community networks knowledge, for intelligent traffic light control.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.